Otsu, Shiga / 比叡山延暦寺
Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei
The head temple of the Tendai sect with vast grounds on Mt. Hiei, registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1994. It began in the late Nara period when the 19-year-old Saicho built a hermitage on the mountain; for about 1,200 years it held the highest place in Japanese religion, and monks who later supported Japanese Buddhism, such as Enchin, Ennin and Honen, came from here. On the mountain the grounds divide into three areas: Todo around the Konponchudo, Saito around the Shakado, and Yokawa. Burned by Oda Nobunaga, its halls were restored by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and many are National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties.
Last official check
26 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
25 Dec 2026
Decide before you go
A short summary made from the official facts below. Check the rows for details.
- Getting there
- Train
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Closed
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- Admission
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Getting there
10 minutes on foot from Cable Enryakuji Station (Sakamoto Cable).
Checked 26 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Payment
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- Accessibility
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Address: Otsu, Shiga (Japanese address: 滋賀県大津市)
Official site: https://www.biwako-visitors.jp/spot/detail/58/?active=spot
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
- No photo yetFormer Chikurin-inShiga2 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetBiwako Otsukan (Yanagasaki Lakeside Park)Shiga5 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetSanzen-in Temple, OharaKyoto6 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetJisho-ji (Ginkaku-ji, Silver Pavilion)Kyoto6 km away (straight line)
Photo: Kirin7739 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)Philosopher's PathKyoto6 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Latest traveler report
- None yet
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Verification log
- 26 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://www.biwako-visitors.jp/spot/detail/58/?active=spotAccess, parking, description, address and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.